My first blog post

After a lot of encouragement from my parents and close friends (you know who you are), I have finally decided to start a blog. I have been considering this for a few years however, due to a lack of confidence and embarrassment only now I have decided that it is the right time. For those who do not know me- Hello, my name is Lauren, I’m 21 years old and I am a university student born and living in Scotland.

I will be using this blog to share, chat and document my experience and life living with chronic eczema, allergies and recently diagnosed hypersensivity urticaria. I am not medically trained or an expert. Just simply a young women sharing the challenges and adaptations I have had to make in my life in an attempt to live ‘normally’. I would love to chat to other people and learn their tips and tricks as well as sharing my own.

For those reading, that are unsure what each thing I am talking about is, I will give a brief definition below;

• Eczema– ‘The word eczema comes from the Greek word “ekzein” which means “to boil.” Eczema (also known as dermatitis) is a dry skin condition. It is a highly individual condition which varies from person to person and comes in many different forms. It is not contagious so you cannot catch it from someone else. In mild cases of eczema, the skin is dry, scaly, red and itchy. In more severe cases there may be weeping, crusting and bleeding. Constant scratching causes the skin to split and bleed and also leaves it open to infection’. (Eczema.org)

• Urticaria– (Also known in its acute form as hives) ‘This condition consists of wheals – spots or patches of raised red or white skin – each of which usually clears away in a few hours to be replaced by other fresh wheals. It sometimes occurs together with swelling of various parts of the body (angioedema) – typically the face, hands and feet, although anywhere may be affected. Chronic urticaria is the result of an allergic reaction to chemicals, food, cosmetic products etc’. (AllergyUK.org)

Until recently, I have been ashamed to share my experiences and have been in complete denial somehow thinking I would wake up one day and have no allergies, a decent immune system and no skin issues. I am not writing this for sympathy but simply in the hope that someone else will read this and feel like they can relate or even pick up some tips/ give me some tips on how to carry on with normal life and stay positive.

I do not want this blog to be negative or upsetting. However, I feel it is important to give some background on my personal experiences as they are highly individual conditions-

I had very little eczema when I was younger; it then disappeared completely and reappeared at the beginning of summer 2014 when I was 18 years old. It reappeared as a small patch on my neck that looked like a bruise. I went to the doctors as it began spreading, burning and being incredibly itchy. I was given hydrocortisone cream (biggest waste of time) and it began to get worse and continued spreading. From then on I don’t recall a day in which I did not have at least a small patch of eczema somewhere on my body whether that on my neck, arms, back of the knee or inner thigh. Over the next two years, I slowly gave up and refused to go to the GP as I was sick of having steroid cream after steroid cream being thrown at me and being dismissed by every doctor I went to.

Winter 2016 -2017 was definitely one of the most challenging times of my life. Physically and mentally I was not in the best place. I had become obsessed with my skin constantly researching and reading about eczema and steroids. This lead me to begin a self steroid withdrawal (this is when you completely stop using any form of steroid). For anyone who doesn’t know about steroids you cannot abruptly stop using them as your skin will flare up worse than before. I HIGHLY DO NOT RECCOMMEND THIS. I was also on no form of regular antihistamine causing me to have constant allergic reactions. Allergic reactions can cause/trigger eczema and if you already have eczema prone skin it can cause a flare. I followed no regime and only had a few light moisturising creams prescribed by the doctor.

If you had told me a couple of years ago that you could be hospitalised due to eczema I would have been surprised. However, after being hospitalised in February 2017 I finally realised, if not managed correctly, how serious it can be. Being admitted to hospital and finally being given proper creams, emollients, steroids and other supplies, I finally felt as though I could begin to manage my skin better and get back to normality; university, socialising and being able to actual get out my bed in the morning. Not only that I was finally taken seriously by doctors and after many years finally referred to a dermatologist. However, I have only in the past month been able to have more of a control over my allergic reactions and flares by FINALLY being prescribed a new and stronger antihistamine.

I am currently not comfortable to share any images of what my skin, reactions and flare ups have looked like in the past/present however, if you saw me today you probably would think I was completely normal- whatever normal actual is. I have achieved how I look today through extreme trial and error, adaptations, strict regimes and consistency. I am extremely lucky to have amazing support and help from my parents, boyfriend and very close friends. My boyfriend has taken on the role in helping me in applying creams, sleeves (to keep the cream on) and reminding/checking I have taken my antihistamines daily. My parents listening to me crying and moaning about it for years, supporting me, looking up articles on eczema for me to read and get tips from, coming to appointments, taking me to an eczema and allergy conference and for simply listening. I can never thank these people enough for their love and support.

Enough of the depressing stuff- In my future blog posts, I would like to share products I use on a daily basis and swear by. Tips I have learnt to save your bed sheets/clothes from being wrecked by creams, help make me feel better and my skin stay hydrated, resist scratching and help reduce the chances of allergic reactions. Feel free to message me if you want to chat/rant or even if you just feel like you can relate to something in this post.

Thank you for reading and here are some helpful websites,

Lauren x

http://eczema.org/about-eczema

https://nationaleczema.org/eczema/

http://www.britishskinfoundation.org.uk/skininformation/atoZofSkindisease/Eczema.aspx

https://www.allergyuk.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3KDGtt252AIVhLftCh09dgNXEAAYAyAAEgK_v_D_BwE

https://www.allergyuk.org/information-and-advice/conditions-and-symptoms/416-urticaria-hives-and-other-skin-allergy?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIp9rEkN252AIVbLXtCh2WcABxEAAYASAAEgJVe_D_BwE